Loss And Gain
by tinybee
Summary: As Hermione holds her baby in her arms, she remembers Tim and their marriage. She also remembers when Horatio gave her the news of Tim's death. Yet Hermione was never alone. Eric was always by her side. Past HG/TS Hint of HG/ED


**Harry Potter and CSI: Miami crossover one shot. I do not own either, they belong to their respectful creators.**

**This is different to the other stories I usually post. For one this is NOT a slash and secondly Hermione is my main character. I don't actually usually write her as one nor read a story that has her as a main character. But I was inspired so here it is.**

**WARNING: The death of a character here. Unbeta'd.**

**Pairing: Hermione/Tim and, if you squint, you can see a Hermione/Eric blossoming**

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Sixth months. It had been six months since the death of her husband and yet Hermione sometimes expected Tim to come home, kicking off his shoes as he called out a hello. She would come out from the kitchen if he was early, and he would grin and pull her to him. Tim would then proceed to lift her off her feet and spin the woman round in a circle, planting a kiss on laughing lips as he set her back down. Other times he would come home late after a case, sometimes when she was sleeping, and would crawl in after her and pull his sleeping wife into his arms.

They were happy. In love. It wasn't even a year into their marriage that Hermione found out she was pregnant. Three months pregnant to be exact.

Hermione told him as soon as she found out, and had enjoyed his shocked look and near fainting episode. Hermione then received roses or boxes of chocolates every time he came home. The rest of the CSIs congratulated them, teasing the couple on how she'll grow fat and have swollen ankles and Tim will be in the firing range of her mood swings.

For them life was perfect, they had each other and a child on the way.

Then one month later Tim was killed.

Hermione looked down at her sleeping child, born only a week ago. She named him Timothy, after his late father. Even though the baby was so young, she knew that he would look just like her husband. Eric had been there with her during the birth. He had taken it upon himself to look after her after Tim died. And he practically lived in her house so that she wouldn't be alone before or after the baby was born.

She sat back as she remembered the day Tim died. Hermione had felt something akin to dread as she watched Tim leave for work that morning, giving her his customary kiss as he did so. Something inside her ached as she had written a letter to her mother. A tightening in her chest. But being the rationalist that she was, Hermione had shoved the foreboding feeling to the back of her mind, content that Tim would come home to her.

He was late, Hermione recalled, and he would normally call her to tell her that he was going to be late.

When the doorbell rang, the dull ache in her chest came back. She had hesitated for a moment before opening the door. Hermione could feel that something was wrong. Tim would just come in not wait for her to let him enter.

It was Horatio.

She knew something was wrong just by the look on his face. Even so, she moved aside and granted him entry, the pain in her chest grew as she led him into the kitchen.

"Drink?" She asked softly, a hand on her rounded belly.

"No thank you," Horatio said. "Maybe it would be best if we sat down. I have something to tell you."

Hermione froze, her breathing becoming slightly uneven.

"I'd rather stand. I need to make sure Tim's dinner doesn't burn. He doesn't like ruined food."

"Hermione."

"Don't." She whispered. "Somethings happened to him, I can tell."

"Yes." Horatio looked her in the eye. "What I have to say is not easy."

"How bad is it? Is he okay?"

"Hermione, your husband was with me when there was a shoot out." Horatio said.

"Oh, no." Hermione whispered. "Oh God, please, no."

Horatio tilted his head, eyes sad.

"One of the men shot him while he was distracted." Horatio told her.

Hermione couldn't recall what happened next. One moment she was staring at Horatio, the next she was curled up on her bed with Eric sitting next to her, hands running through tangled curls as he ran fingers up and down her arm. Eric had barely left her side from then on out.

And now he was leaning against the open door, eyes dark as he stared at her. Hermione didn't say anything to him as she continued to rock her son in her arms.

"How is he?" Eric finally asked.

"He's well." Hermione gave him a small smile. "Healthy."

"What about you?" He asked as he moved further into the room.

"I'm doing okay," she ran a finger gently down Timothy's cheek.

A soft smile made it's way onto Eric's face as he finally walked over to the rocking chair, hovering by her shoulder as he watched the baby sleep in his mother's arms.

"Do you want to hold him?" Hermione asked quietly. "You are rather good with him."

Eric chuckled, already taking the babe into his own strong arms. "Those classes I went with you when you were pregnant gave me a lot of practice."

Timothy stirred, and the CSI was quick to make soothing sounds, his voice low as he spoke nonsense to the infant. He looked up and caught Hermione's eyes, seeing the sparkle of amusement within the brown orbs.

"I honestly don't know what I would have done if I didn't have you by my side." Hermione admitted a few minutes later nce Timothy was fnally settled again.

"You needn't worry," Eric spoke truthfully. "I'll always be here for you and for little Tim."

"Thank you, Eric." The woman closed her eyes, taking in deep, even breaths. "I'm so lucky I have you."

"I'm the lucky one." Eric murmured.

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**Bit of an abrupt ending, but I'm tired and it's nearly half past twelve, my brain needs it's rest. I could have waited until morning, but then I thought 'Nah', and written and published it now. Please review!**


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